Up in the Air

So as I look forward to my Annual Oscar Party, I've been investigating the movies that are in contention for Best Picture! I'll be posting more about this later, but as of right now, the movie to really see is Up in the Air with George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick! Check out these reviews...

Variety (Grade: 85 - out of 100)
Rotten Tomatoes (Grade: 89%)
CNN (Grade: A)
Rolling Stone (Grade: 3.5 stars - out of 4)
In Contention (Grade: 4 stars - out of 4)
First Showing (Grade: 8.5 - out of 10)
SlashFilm (Grade: 9 - out of 10)

Watchmen Review

Image Source

I have heard a lot of mixed reviews on the movie and I've come to the conclusion that you can separate the views as "those who read the book" and "those who did not." The people who read it - love it. Those who did not read it - don't love it, don't get it, don't appreciate it. As someone who is a self-proclaimed book snob and tends to hate movies made from books, I was very pleased with the adaptation of the book. I feel like usually movies are made as a cliffs notes kind of version of the book and they're made for those people who are too lazy to actually pick up a book and read. This movie was 100% completely made for the people who read the book. If you didn't read it, you're not going to like it, I can pretty much guarantee that. And if you do happen to like it even if you didn't read the book, then you're in the minority from what I can tell.

You can make arguments all you want about how movies should be made with all the info so that people who haven't read the book will get it and like it, BUT - I believe this book earned the right and the authority to be made into a movie almost solely for those who have read it. It was chosen by Time Magazine as one of their "Top 100 English-Language Novels from 1923 - Present." It won a Hugo Award in 1988. It was chosen by Entertainment Weekly in 2008 as their number 13 book in the "Top 50 Novels Printed in the Last 25 Years." And I could go on.

So, basically, if you haven't read the book and you saw the movie and didn't like it. Just at least understand that your opinion is uneducated and that you are watching something that is much larger than a superhero movie. It's a satire and ultimately a cultural statement that has literally been applauded for it's intelligence and sophistication as a graphic novel. The movie is just another extension and perspective of the novel which practically requires an understanding of the novel to be fully understood as a movie.

You may not like that and you may be annoyed that you would have to read the book to like or understand the movie, but take it or leave it. The novel is incredible and by extension the movie is the same as it followed the book so closely.

Movie Review: Slumdog Millionaire

I actually don't think I reviewed this yet on here, so I'm going to now.

It was beyond fabulous. It was beautiful being set in Mumbai. I loved the colors and the look and feel of the atmosphere in India. I really loved the plotline and the idea of a boy from the slums who is on his way to winning India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. For each question, they take you back and show you how he knows the answer and we find out the real reason he is on the show - and it isn't because of the money. The whole movie was just so wonderful. I knew from the moment it was over that I really liked it, but the more I think about it, I realize that I love it even more every day. It's just one of those movies that sticks with you.

Unlike lots of my other reviews, I have very few words for this one. It was more of the way it made me feel. I just thought it was great. And I LOVED the Bollywood dance at the end. It's awesome. I wish I could do that!!

Movie Review: Frost/Nixon

This movie was set up like a True Hollywood Story kind of interview and then video format. I thought that was great. I really liked the whole flow of the movie and the direction it followed. I definitely thought the performances were wonderful, specifically Frank Langella's, but the most profound thing for me was the way it made me feel in the end about Nixon and Watergate and Frost and the whole situation.

Let me first say that I always judge movies by the impact they have on me. If they make me feel something or see something differently than I saw it before, I will applaud their overall theme and format even if the acting or story itself was not very good. This movie made me feel challenged and inspired while still being an absolutely incredible movie. It was strange that I would feel this way about a movie that portrays the greatest scandal in political history so far (I realize that is debatable). I was worried going into it that it would either paint Nixon as a horrible person who deserved no respect or authority or as a wonderful martyr who was treated unfairly. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a wonderful balance. They in no way made light of the embarrassment and shame he brought to the Presidency, but they also were able to somehow highlight Nixon - the man. At the end of the movie, I understood the guilt and disgrace that would be a permanent burden in his life from that point forward.

I didn't leave the movie thinking that Nixon was absolved of his crime, but I also didn't leave feeling like he was doomed to have the truth beat into him for the rest of his life either. Overall, I thought Frank Langella and Michael Sheen were wonderful. I thought Ron Howard provided us with yet another excellent movie and I thought that Peter Morgan wrote a script that was true to history as well as challenging to the current audience.

For more information about the Frost/Nixon interviews, go to www.frostnixon.com or watch this video (click here).

Movie Review: Milk

I thought this movie was absolutely fabulous. The feeling I had throughout the movie was one of overwhelming heart-felt emotion. I just felt for everyone in the movie. I thought the performances by Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch and James Franco were wonderful. I thought the way the story was told was beautiful. I think Gus Van Sant pieces together movies in the most beautiful ways.

As a political statement, I thought the movie was important and really made you see how absurd it is to deny basic civil rights to a group of people for any reason. It is their lives they're fighting for, as they say in the movie, and it is important that we allow everyone the freedom and equality that this country was founded to provide.

As a Christian, I thought this movie was relevant and I really think it is important that those of us who are Christians understand that there is a difference between being Biblical and following Jesus and then being filled with rage and bigotry. I know that Jesus would not have treated anyone the way the Christians treated Harvey Milk and the homosexual community at the time portrayed by the movie. It was heartbreaking for me to watch that.

As a documentary of Harvey Milk, I thought the movie did a wonderful job of showing him personally and politically. It showed him as a political figure and face of a movement and it showed him personally and privately as well. In the end (SPOILER - although not if you know the true events of his life), I was overwhelmed at the 30,000 person march upon his death. I don't even think 1,000 people know my name, let alone would care if I was gone. He made such an impact and it is important that it is recognized.

Overall, I just think you should see it - no matter what your personal, political or religious views may be.

Oscar Countdown Begins!

There's 1 week until the Oscars!! I'm excited!! If you want to see the full list of nominees, click here.

I've posted reviews about different Oscar nominated movies before and if you want to read those, see below. I'm also going to post my reviews of the ones I haven't written about yet.

The Wrestler
Revolutionary Road
The Dark Knight

Start getting excited!!!

Review: Revolutionary Road

I left this movie with the overwhelming sensation that it was more than a movie. It was a statement. It was not where you go for entertainment. It was not "enjoyable." It was somber, it was gutwrenching and it was painful. But it accomplished what it was meant to. The book was written in 1961 for a generation that hid its pain behind the smiles at the dinner table. It cut to the heart of every lie and it opened wide the door to conversation and examination of the lies in your own life. Now here is the movie almost 50 years later, and it still applies. It still speaks to a generation that continues to hide its pain behind the facade.

Don't go see this if you're looking for a chick flick with a happy ending. Go see this if you are willing to examine what parts of your life or the lives of those around you mimic different pieces of the film. Maybe you're the wife who can't stifle the dream and desire for something more. Maybe you're the husband who is trying to provide, but fades into mediocrity. Maybe you're the man who is institutionalized because of your inability to censor the truth. Maybe you're the woman who puts on a smile and a dress and sweeps the secrets under the rug. Maybe you don't identify with any character, but you see a vivid reflection of pieces of American society.

No matter where you may be, there are aspects of this movie that you will find hit home. My friend Brooke thought that the fact that there are so many real people like the characters made the movie common and overrated. I respectfully disagree. I believe that the fact that there are so many people like April and Frank Wheeler is what made the movie relevant and heartbreaking. It spurs conversation. It forces an opinion. I heard strong opinions for and against it and I think they're both right. Because it's more than a movie. It's a statement. It's a conversation.

In terms of acting, directing, cinematography and atmosphere, I thought it was award-worthy, especially Kate Winslet. I think that Peter Travers at Rolling Stone captured the movie perfectly in his review.

Movie Review: The Wrestler

Let me just say to begin that I had no interest in seeing this movie. I don't really like Mickey Rourke or wrestling, but as it continued to gain award nominations and then a win for Rourke at the Golden Globes, I just couldn't resist anymore. The final outcome: I was very pleasantly surprised. While I went into it expecting it to just be about an old, washed up wrestler, I quickly realized it was about so much more than that. It is actually, surprisingly, a beautifully crafted examination of three people searching for significance. Mickey Rourke plays a pro wrestler whose body is not really allowing him to do what it used to and whose soul finds no home or comfort outside of the ring. His family is the audience and his friends are the fans. Marisa Tomei plays a stripper who is also finding herself in a profession dominated by a younger generation. And Evan Rachel Wood plays Rourke's daughter who is broken by his absence in her life. While none of those things may sound particularly appealing to you, I would just say that they didn't to me either, but I found myself drawn to all of them. I cared about what was happening to them and I fought back tears in the end. It's strangely affecting and I definitely recommend it.

The Dark Knight Review

So here's the thing about me reviewing this movie - I can't do it very eloquently, mainly because I start thinking about it, get really excited and then lose my words.

It was beyond fabulous. I am finding room for it right now in my top 10 movies of all time. I've got to organize it in my head. Heath Ledger's performance, in my opinion, is legendary. Everything about the movie was perfect. It is too much to really take in at once. We are planning on going to see it again in the IMAX.

You should absolutely go see it, no matter who you are. It will absolutely rock your socks off. It is the best Batman movie ever made. Read the Rolling Stone review as they much more eloquently elaborate on the specifics of the movie.


Here is some interesting information so far about the movie:

It has broken box office records as the biggest midnight-showing movie of all time. It made $18.4 million in just midnight showings, beating Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith which had held the record with $16.9 million.

It has broken box office records as the biggest first day movie of all time. It made $66.4 million on Friday, July 18, beating Spider-Man 3 which had held the record with $59.8 million.

We will find out today if it beat Spider-Man 3 for the biggest opening weekend movie of all time. Spider-Man 3 holds the title so far with $151.11 million.


Have you seen it yet?
What did you think?

The Dark Knight Rolling Stone Review

The excitement that was building already has just pretty much exploded in my brain. haha. But seriously. I haven't been this excited about seeing a movie in a really long time!!

Read this Rolling Stone review and then go buy your tickets to The Dark Knight's midnight showing at a theater near you!!

"The haunting and visionary Dark Knight soars on the wings of untamed imagination."
-Peter Travers for Rolling Stone

The Happening Movie Review

First, let me start by saying that I love M. Night Shyamalan. I think he is different and unique in a way that always allows me to take something from all his movies that I love. Even if they aren't my favorite movies of all time, I always leave them having enjoyed the movie and picked out lots of things that I liked.

I read about this movie and his thought process behind it before I went to see it. I always like to see where he was coming from. For me, there were several things mentioned on the front page of the website that stuck out to me as interesting and appealing: 1 - the idea of "have we gone too far as humans," what if nature develops a survival mechanism at the same time that we lose our survival mechanism; 2 - this loss of our survival mechanism, the idea of it is pretty terrifying, if we lose this innate desire to stay alive and instead go to the opposite extreme immediately; 3 - the way that the movie (and all of his movies really) focus on the relationship between people and the struggle as humans that we have to just maintain a balance with each other. I just liked the ideas behind everything and was interested in the way he would do it.

The movie did not disappoint me. I am a huge fan of Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel going back to The Basketball Diaries, Fear and The Big Hit for Wahlberg and Almost Famous and The Good Girl for Deschanel. I've been following both of them from the beginning. Although I have heard arguments that Mark Wahlberg cannot play the science teacher as well as he can play the bad ass, I still maintain that he was wonderful in this movie. He does tend to have an almost cheesy aura to him when he's playing the nice guy (see RockStar, Fear - the beginning of it, The Big Hit, I Heart Huckabees) but I still think he can pull off anything. And not just because he looks like that. As far as storyline and development of the movie goes, I thought it was fabulous. It's risky territory to make your bad guys "nature" or "the plants" but Shyamalan pulled it off in a genuine way where I was never thinking, "omg this is so ridiculous." And the movie is at its core about the way that we as humans have become a threat to the planet, but also about how we overcome and rise up in the midst of tragedy. One of my favorite scenes was where Alma (Deschanel) was watching Elliot and Jess (Wahlberg and Ashlyn Sanchez) mourn. I cried probably 5 times in this movie. But it was also a bad day for me, so maybe that's why I cried. haha

Either way, I highly recommend the movie, but go into it with an open mind.

The Air I Breathe Movie Review

First of all, my initial thought was..."okay...that was strange." But when I thought about it, I liked it. It basically follows the stories of 5 individuals separately and also shows how they all connect. It's along the lines of Crash and other movies of that nature. It blankets each story with a specific emotion, such as "Happiness," "Sorrow," "Love," etc. It's short, only an hour and a half, so I sort-of expected a little more. You all should know by now that I am a huge Sarah Michelle Gellar fan and I thought she was wonderful in this. She was probably my favorite part of the movie and not just because she was Buffy. I also thought Kevin Bacon did a great job. I normally go back and forth on how I think of him. The movie definitely has a recognizable cast including Forest Whitaker, Kevin Bacon, Brendan Fraser, Andy Garcia, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Julie Delpy, and Emile Hirsch. I enjoyed everyone in the movie. I can't at the end of it say that it struck anything special in a way that other movies sometimes do, but I enjoyed it.

I would recommend it, but I probably wouldn't watch it again.

The Air I Breathe

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Movie Review

I'm going to make this short as I possibly can considering how passionately I felt about what had happened in the last 2 hours of my life after seeing this movie and I'm going to ruin the movie for you, so if you're REALLY hell-bent on seeing the movie and don't want any spoilers, then don't read this...

It's Indiana Jones vs. Aliens. Aliens!!!!! OMG. I have several good things to say:

1. Harrison Ford does not make a fool out of himself. I was nervous that it was going to be embarrassing because he is so old now, but it was not.
2. Shia LaBeouf is funny as always, although there is a scene where he is swinging in trees with these anti-Communist monkeys. Not the greatest plot line if you ask me.
3. The movie itself is great, like the cinematography and all that. It's action-packed, it's adventure, it's all those kinds of things.

But...

IT'S INDIANA JONES VS. ALIENS!!!

I mean, come on. What in the world does that have to do with archeology? Trying to make an alien landing correspond to the Aztecs? That's just not Indiana Jones. Give me the ark of the covenant (IJ & the Raiders of the Lost Ark), give me the cult rituals in the Temple of Doom, give me the search for the Holy Grail (IJ & the Last Crusade), but for the love of all that is good and holy, DO NOT bring aliens into the picture!! It killed it for me. And in the end when he pops that crystal alien skull back on the skeleton and then it comes to life, the room starts spinning, and the flying saucer shoots out into space, I just wanted to cry because it was so far below what it could have been.

Honestly, rent National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets - you'll have the same search for a hidden city made completely of gold and it's actually much better.

And if you're really interested in seeing some old geezer come back from the 80's/90's to suck out all the money he can from the popularity of his first movies, rent Rocky Balboa because it actually closed the Rocky series out on an excellent note as opposed to this which just was preposterous.

(I bet there are even a couple of people who think I'm joking about this. No, I'm not. It's about aliens.)

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Movie Review

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is the second part of the series based on C.S. Lewis' world-renowned books. My initial reaction was one of slight disappointment when compared to the first movie, although I expected as much. I don't think that any sequels will compare to the original for several reasons, but the main one in this case being that more people have read the first book and are familiar with the story. I'm not sure I can put my finger on exactly what it was beyond that, but the movie was more battle and war than other storylines. I felt more drawn to the characters in the original movie than I did in this one.

One main problem I did have with the movie was the complete cheesiness of a couple of scenes. I was just all too aware that I was watching a Disney movie. When Prince Caspian is calling the Narnians to his side in the woods and then when that ridiculously voiced grizzly bear calls out, "For Aslan!!" I was just almost embarrassed by the complete corniness of the way it was portrayed. The entire theater laughed at the scene with the bear. Be prepared for that.

That being said, it is an epic story, one that has resonated with people for generations so far and will continue to do so in the future. The cinematography was well done and the 4 children in the main roles are very convincing, in my opinion. It definitely had more violence than I would have expected for a movie that is basically a children's movie. There is a scene where someone's head is cut off, although in true Disney fashion, there is little to no blood.

I'm not going to recommend it for everyone the way I would some movies, but if you go see it, I'm very interested in your thoughts!

Iron Man Movie Review

The new big screen adaptation of the comic book series, Iron Man, is surprisingly riveting. I went into it with moderate expectations, and was very impressed! It is the story of Tony Stark/Iron Man, a billionaire industrialist whose company specializes in weapons development. He is captured by terrorists and forced to build a weapon for them. Instead, he develops a suit for himself that allows him to escape. He is changed by the experience and ends up setting out to undo the destruction that the distribution of his weapons has caused.

Academy Award Nominee Robert Downey, Jr. plays Tony Stark/Iron Man with humor and wit in a way that attracts the audience to him. Academy Award Winner Gwyneth Paltrow plays Pepper Potts. She was surprisingly likable in this character. I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy her in an action movie setting, but she was great! Academy Award Nominees Terrance Howard and Jeff Bridges also offer performances that fit very well in the theme, while also bringing a higher level to the movie than what I expected.

It felt more sophisticated than a normal comic book movie, such as Spiderman, but with Director Jon Favreau, it definitely has the humor to appeal to a wide audience. I highly recommend this movie for anyone!

Dear John,

Synopsis: (Taken from NicholasSparks.com)

"An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who has captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love—and face the hardest decision of his life."

This book...oh my gosh...I just loved it. It just resonated with me for some reason and I ended the book just weeping. I cried for half an hour after I finished it because it just made me think about my year. It is SO worth reading if you like that kind of book. It is no classic literary masterpiece or anything. (My favorite book is The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas) But it is just a quick, wonderful read. His books just make me feel good. I just read them and even if they make me cry, I just love them. They are beautiful and they always make me want my life to be better. It was great.

Final Say: Read it. Especially if you've read his others. He completely redeemed himself from the last one.

Alpha Dog

Synopsis: Johnny Truelove is a 19 year old drug dealer in California. Through a bad drug deal, Jake Mazursky ends up owing him about $1,200. After Jake breaks in and trashes Johnny's house, Johnny and his friends go to find Jake, but see his brother Zach walking down the road. They catch him and beat him up and then take him home with them to hold him for ransom. He is aware of what is going on, but is having fun partying with Johnny's friends. It is based on the true story of Jesse James Hollywood who was the youngest person ever to be on the FBI's Most Wanted List.

I actually loved the movie. I have been reading about the case and the making of the movie for about a month now and was just excited to see how the Writer/Director Nick Cassavetes put it all together. I think Justin Timberlake is actually a really good actor. I saw him in Edison Force and thought he was great, so I was excited to see what he would do in a completely different kind of role. And he was great. Ben Foster who plays Jake Mazursky was pretty out there, but he was playing someone who was supposed to be a little crazy and on drugs pretty much constantly. So if you've ever been around people who are on a drug that makes them like that, he really wasn't too far off from what it would've been like. Sharon Stone's fatsuit in the end was pretty distracting because it looked ridiculous. But if you can get past those things, it was just great. What is interesting to me is that the movie was taken straight from the case files of Jesse James Hollywood's attorney. So the movie is as accurate as it could be. In an interview with Nick Cassavetes, he says that it is between 90 to 95% accurate. He said obviously the actual details of what was said between everyone couldn't be completely accurate. But the storyline and what happened in what sequence of events and who was there and what they saw was taken from the witnesses accounts of the events. I think that's pretty much fascinating.

Final Say: If you can get past the drugs, sex, violence & language, it's worth seeing if you're interested in the story at all. But go into it knowing that it is a true story.


Here are some interesting sites with information about the real guy:

Really Detailed Account of how the movie was made
FBI Press Release about capture of Jesse James Hollywood
Unsolved Mysteries information
Jesse James Hollywood - Wikipedia


And heres is some pictures of him & the other real people in the movie:


Jesse James Hollywood at 19


Jesse James Hollywood after capture in 2005


Nick Markowitz


Jeff and Susan Markowitz


Ryan Hoyt (actually killed Nick Markowitz)

Children of Men

Synopsis: So it's 2027 and women haven't been able to have children for 18 years. The youngest living person just died. Clive Owen plays this guy who through a series of events ends up being responsible for helping this woman who is miraculously pregnant get across the border safely to meet up with this group that is going to help her.

I'm very torn over what I think of this movie. First of all, it is an incredible film. In terms of cinematography and just the general way the movie was done and put together, it's really great. There is no way around that. And I really liked the story. It was unique. It was making a statement. It was interesting. My only problem is that I feel like it was way too much story to put into a 2 hour movie. It left me with way too many questions. Not questions like lingering, left me thinking kind of questions, but actual, like I didn't understand basic premises of the movie kind of questions. I don't know, it was good. But it's not anywhere in my top movies ever.

Final Say: It's not a waste of money, but I doubt you'll leave just raving about it.

Rocky Balboa

Synopsis: Rocky is working at his restaurant and trying to work out his relationship with his son. A computer-generated fight is shown on ESPN of Rocky vs. the new, young heavyweight champion. Since this new guy's agents see this as an opportunity to make a lot of money, they convince Rocky to actually fight the guy. He does and most of the rest of the movie is a pay-per-view looking fight with a happy ending (surprise, surprise, come on, it's a Rocky movie).

This was WAY better than the 5th movie. He lost it for a while and came back on top. It's a great way to end the series. He looks pretty great for a 60 year old if you can get past the nasty looking veins. It's definitely worth seeing if you like the Rocky movies, but the main line in the movie says, "It ain't over 'till it's over" which is true. It was great, but after this one, I hope they really let it be over. All good things come to an end. At least it ended like this as opposed to the 5th one.

Final Say: A definite must-see (**if you have seen all the others** - if not, don't really bother.)

The Pursuit of Happyness

Synopsis: Will Smith plays a father who finds himself without a job, a wife or a car and facing rent, parking tickets and taxes while trying to take care of his son. He joins an unpaid internship to become a stockbroker and at the end of the internship, only one person is chosen out of around 20 to get the job. It is a uphill battle the whole way and definitely emotionally tiring.

I think that in the times we live in, people are always expecting action-packed movies. They want to be kept on their toes. We live in an ADD world where many people have a hard time sitting through anything that isn't constantly fast-paced. This movie was worth the extra effort. It was a little slow, a little sad the whole time, but it paid off in the end. I, personally, thought Will Smith was more than excellent in this role. And his son, who plays his son in the movie, was surprisingly refreshing for his first big movie role. It was given bad reviews by some, but i think it you take the time to chill and just watch it, it is well worth it.

Final Say: Worth seeing!